by Tricia Barr
“This is the Great Hall,” Tyberius said. “Through those doors are the training rooms and the conference room, and over there is the library. The kitchen is towards the back. And the human’s quarters are downstairs. I’m not allowed to go there.” He leaned close and whispered, “At dawn, all the vampires start setting up for classes, and I sneak into the kitchen sometimes for a snack.”
She wanted to smile at his confiding in her, but she couldn’t get over the disturbing mix of living and dead around her.
“Tyberius, why are there so many humans here? Don’t they know...?” She stopped, unsure if Tyberius was even capable of understanding the question, or if he was aware that his father was a vampire and he was human.
He nodded with understanding beyond his years. “The humans are here because they want to become vampires. The transformation is the greatest honor anyone can ever receive. They study below until they can prove they deserve the privilege.”
Her heart thudded. He was completely brainwashed. Pity stabbed at her gut.
“What happens to the ones who don’t make the cut?” she asked, even though she knew the answer.
He shrugged. “They become donors.”
“Donors,” she repeated. What a clever yet calloused word for it. Her stomach twisted.
Tyberius showed her all the places of leisure in the castle: the library, the game room, the spa where humans were nervously eager to massage and please, the pool—which Myreen’s skin and inner tail ached for. But for all the prettiness that she saw, she knew ugliness hid elsewhere. Tyberius said the human’s quarters were downstairs. She doubted they were as nice as her room.
After the tour, they went back up the elevator—using a separate entrance on the top level of the school—and rode it back to the large room with the pillars.
Tyberius hadn’t let go of her hand through the entire walk, and holding his little hand gave her more comfort than she ever expected to find in this place. So warm and frail. She held onto him as tightly as he held onto her.
“Father says we’re to eat breakfast in my room,” he said, leading her there.
At his door, he slid his keycard through the scanner and went inside. His room was nothing like she expected. The décor was all red, like her room, but the space was much bigger. In one corner stood a long, rectangular dining table made of the same black wood as her bed, and a serving table sat against the wall. In the opposite corner was his bed—smaller than hers, the four-poster bed was covered in sheets depicting some popular kid’s show—and at the foot of the bed was a round, plush carpet, where a toy chest sat wide open. In the middle of the room was a desk, behind which was a freshly wiped, free-standing dry erase board.
“Tyberius, do you ever get to leave this room?”
“Of course,” was all he said.
“Do you... eat all your meals in here?”
“Yes. Father says it’s unbecoming of the Heir to eat with humans.”
“So you always eat alone?”
He shook his head, his black tufts of hair swaying as he did. “Agnus eats with me. And sometimes Father comes, too. And now, I have you.” He smiled so big it made her heart hurt.
“What about school? Do you go to school?”
“He’s given the best education money can buy,” a dry female voice interrupted from the left corner of the room. Myreen turned to see a middle-aged woman emerge from a hidden door in the wall. She approached Myreen with a cold smile on her stern face. “You must be the Master’s daughter, Myreen. I’ve waited a very long time to meet you. I’m Agnes, Ty’s governess.”
“Ty?” Myreen asked, looking down at Tyberius.
“Agnes calls me that,” he said, bouncing on his heels playfully. “You can, too, if you want. My name is kind of long.”
Myreen smiled warmly at him. “Alright then, Ty it is.”
“Come, let’s eat,” Agnus said, gesturing toward the table where more human servants who had emerged from the secret door were arranging silverware and plates loaded with food.
Ty ran to the table and dug into a tower of pancakes. Myreen helped herself to the second tallest pancake mountain and began to eat as well, and Agnus joined them and ate slowly, her eyes boring into Myreen the whole time.
“How do you like it here so far, Myreen?” Agnus asked after wiping her lips with a napkin.
I was pretty much kidnapped, sacrificing my freedom for everyone I love. What do you think? That’s what she wanted to say. But she didn’t want to upset Ty. Regardless of what he’d already been exposed to in this godforsaken place, she wanted to preserve whatever innocence he had left.
“Fine,” was what she finally decided to go with, then shoved another fork load of fluffy cake into her mouth.
“Well, I hope you grow to like it,” Agnus said. “This is your home now, and we’re very glad to have you. Aren’t we, Ty?”
“Mm-hmm!” Ty mumbled with stuffed cheeks and syrup-glossed lips.
“Tyberius, what have I told you about speaking with your mouth full?” Agnus chided.
Ty swallowed loudly. “Technically, I didn’t speak, I hummed.”
Agnus scowled at him. “That’s not the point. You must always remember your manners. You’re to be the Master one day.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, his tone agreeable even as he privately rolled his eyes.
“Do you always have pancakes for dinner?” Myreen asked, hoping to lighten the mood.
Ty shook his head. “No. But pancakes are my favorite, so we have them for pretty much every special occasion.”
Myreen nodded, picking at her food again. She had a thousand questions bouncing around in her mind. Questions about Ty’s childhood and upbringing, about Agnus and why on earth a human would choose to knowingly work for a vampire dictator, or why the countless humans below would want to become vampires, themselves. This place was news to her, and she suspected no shifter knew it even existed. That the vampires would have a school of their own like the Dome, but with such a dark and twisted purpose, was just mind-boggling.
But she didn’t want to ask any of those questions in front of Ty. She would wait. As everyone had made quite plain to her, she would be at the citadel for a very long time—plenty of time to find answers for herself. At least she had something look forward to, however bleak.
Chapter 7: Juliet
Extra defense classes.
Added offensive classes.
Required simulations.
Juliet was having nightmares—not about actual vampires, but about simulation vampires that were somehow becoming stronger and taking over the school. Thank goodness the actual simulation vamps were following the rules.
Too bad she wasn’t a sim. The new “school rules” and schedule were tempting Juliet’s rebellious side.
She’d heard of sim sessions that went into the night because someone wasn’t up to par. And more than one student had been sent to Miss Heather for exhaustion.
Keeping her worries bottled made it worse.
Her father was definitely right about one thing: there were eyes and ears everywhere now. It seemed like every corner held a guard just waiting to narc on someone.
She wanted to tell Nik just how furious and unbalanced she felt. He’d shown disdain toward Lord Dracul and his new rules, too. But it never seemed like the right time to commiserate, and in a way, she was afraid Nik was worse off.
Juliet was tempted to start a riot. They were kids, not the general’s good little soldiers. But if she did, her dad would probably never forgive her. So instead, she just daydreamed about causing an uproar. It wasn’t like she had the energy for much else these days, anyway. The rules were so strict and the training so rigorous that if she did have extra time, she was too tired to do anything but crash.
Or sneak away to their library spot at any and every free chance. Like she was doing right now.
A guard stood just inside the library, in a spot where he could see pretty much everything. Nik was there, too, making her he
art flutter. He let the other guard perform his duties, giving Juliet a quick wink behind other guy’s back.
The guard definitely took his job seriously.
After assuring him she’d done her morning training and that she needed to study for a history exam, Juliet had to pick a random book out of a section she’d never been in and act like she was reading it. Something about governing bodies in world history. Ugh. But she had to time her escape perfectly.
Finally, a few students walked in. As Nik leaned in to say something to the other guard, who was busily assessing the students, Juliet took her shot. With one fluid movement, Juliet ducked and ran in the direction of her and Nik’s secret place.
When she arrived, out of breath and afraid of getting caught, she almost squealed when Nik slid in behind her. Juliet bent over and tried to catch her breath as Nik put an arm over her shoulders.
“Are you okay, Jules?” Nik whispered.
“Yes, just sick of this.” Juliet spoke through her teeth, her voice coming out harsh. Enough for Nik to take a step away. Not how she wanted him to know how she really felt. She stood straight and regulated her breathing. “Sorry. I hate sneaking around. And if they catch either one of us in here, they'll never let us come back.”
“I know. This is how it was at the base. But we signed up for that. But the Dome?” Nik wrung his hands as he sat in the dusty old chair. “We need Oberon back.”
“Yeah, try telling that to your boss. Can’t you say something to him?”
“Really? You think it’s that easy? I'm replaceable, Juliet. I'm not Kol. And even if I were, he wouldn't listen. You don’t know the General. He’d kill me just for a suggestion. And then my dad would revive me just to kill me again.” Nik’s voice rose, causing Juliet to cringe. But maybe pushing him was a good thing. She wanted them to be on the same page.
And now, it seemed like they were finally getting there.
Juliet kneeled next to where Nik sat, and she grabbed his hands. His palms were sweaty and there was a slight tremble to them. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to assume that he’d listen. I'm just as frustrated as you are. As are many other students. I—we—just want things to go back to the way they used to be.”
“I do, too. I really do. Oberon should be here. I don’t even... Jules, those younger kids hate me. I can see it in their eyes and I don’t blame them.” Nik withdrew his hand.
Juliet’s stomach churned. Nik had been ordered to run sparring drills with a group of younger students, pushing them farther than he liked. He’d been melancholy ever since. It was a side of Nik she hadn’t seen before. But she could still see the fire in his eyes, sense the dragon wanting to come out. Oddly, Juliet thought it was hot. But this wasn't the right time to be flustered, so she stood and spun to face the crowded bookshelf and hide her rising blush.
“Then quit.” She knew it was easier said than done, but she needed to get off the swoon train. “Tell him you won’t drill sergeant those kids anymore.”
“Juliet, please. You know I can’t quit.” He sounded defeated, and Juliet’s fury rose. Yeah, that turned the heart-eyes off instantly.
“Then stay and take orders from the guy that’s ruining our school and pushing everyone to exhaustion. Before long, all his little toy soldiers will be too tired to even open their eyes, let alone be worth anything in their own defense. And we shouldn’t have to do that. We’re not the military.” Juliet trembled with rage.
Nik stood and began pacing the small space. “I don't want to follow orders, I have to. But you’re right, we need to do something.”
“We?” Juliet stood too, worry pulsing through her. She wanted things to change, but she wasn’t sure she had the strength to help lead that change.
“Yes Jules, we. I mean, think about it. You said it yourself, there are other students who feel the same way. If we play it smart, we might actually be able to do something about this.” Nik stopped pacing to hold eye contact.
“Well... there is strength in numbers...” Juliet said, starting to come around. This could work. But like Nik said, they’d have to be smart about it.
“And with me on the inside, we’ll have access to the information we need.” Nik’s eyebrows scrunched in concentration. “But I think we need to get to Delphine first.”
“That would be really helpful. What would we do, though? What could she do?”
“For one, she controls the finances, but I’m afraid...”
“What?” Juliet leaned forward, making Nik meet her gaze. “What are you afraid of?”
He took a breath. “I’m afraid Lord Dracul is using his dragon abilities to... influence Delphine.”
Juliet leaned back, her mouth hanging open. Would he do that? She knew that dragons could alter a person’s emotions by using pheromones. It wasn’t exactly compulsion, but emotions were powerful and could easily persuade someone to think or act a certain way. The thought that their new director was using it on Delphine made Juliet sick to her stomach.
“But I think we need to get the support of other students,” Nik said as he resumed his pacing.
Juliet shoved her previous thoughts aside. First things first. “Okay, so rally everyone together for... what, a protest? Our new director doesn't seem like the type to give in to a riot. In fact, he seems like the type to have a punishment specially prepared for just that scenario.”
“No, we need to be more subtle than that. And it’s imperative that we don't get caught. I mean it. We cannot get caught.” He waited for Juliet to acknowledge him. With a nervous nod of her head, he continued. “What can we do to put the General in his place? Some sort of check and balance.”
Juliet thought for a moment, then looked at the book she’d brought with her, the one she’d dropped when Nik came in behind her. She picked it up, looking again at the title. Governments in World History. “What if we form some sort of governing body? That way Lord Dracul couldn’t just act like a king. He’d have a body of shifters that he’d have to answer to.”
“Form a council?” he said, his handsome face splitting into a grin. “Of course! A shifter council. Of adults, obviously. But if we get enough students together, maybe we could get the ball rolling.”
“And they could oust Dracul,” Juliet said, her enthusiasm beginning to match his. “And bring Oberon back.”
“Exactly. If we can get some students together who feel the same as us... and maybe your dad...?”
“Um, my dad’s a no-go. He cares too much about his duty to Lord Dracul. But if we could recruit the right students, ones with influential parents and connections, I think this could work.” She took a deep breath as the enormity of it all hit her. It was going to be a lot of work, but if they pulled it off, it could solve all their problems—and if it didn’t work, it could ruin them.
“Are you sure this could work? Dracul is kind of intense and I don't think I'm prepared for whatever punishment he has for this kind of betrayal.” She didn't want to back out, because it was a good start to a good plan, but doubt was beginning to dampen her enthusiasm. Thankfully, Nik came beside Juliet, taking her hands in his and locking eyes with her.
“I swear that I will always do anything and everything I can to keep you safe. Don't forget how strong you are, Jules. You saved Myreen once. I have no doubt you could do it again.” Nik leaned in and placed his soft lips on Juliet’s forehead. His words did make her feel better, her worry replaced by defiance.
Nik looked at the entrance, crinkling his brows. “I should get back out there.”
“Okay, captain, but where should we tell everyone to meet?”
Nik squinted as he studied the small space they were in.
Juliet shook her head rapidly. “Oh, no. We are not bringing anyone here. There wouldn't be enough room.” She was right, of course, but mostly, she didn't want to share their secret place with anyone.
“That’s true. I have a place in mind. I’ll have to check it out before knowing for sure. For now, just get some names. Carefully. We’ll l
et everyone know when and where when we know for sure.”
A sly grin came over his face, and Nik tapped his cheek.
“Yes sir.” Juliet saluted, then gave him a quick peck.
They snuck out of their hidden sanctuary and quietly went their separate ways.
Juliet hoped with all her might that they could pull this off without any hitches. And with Nik on her side, she was crazy enough to think it just might work.
Chapter 8: Kenzie
Kenzie watched the full moon rising as she rode the school bus home, her stomach churning.
This was it.
Normally a were had more time from bite to first shift, but Wes hadn't been so lucky. Four days. That's all he got—and only two of them conscious. And while she was grateful to have it over with, she worried for him. What if something went wrong? What if the shift changed him? What if she didn’t like who he became? There were already some obvious differences, like the darker, thicker hair, and how his appearance had magically become more rugged. And the mood swings...
But perhaps the most frightening and exciting change was the way he looked at her. It turned her insides into wobbly Jell-O and stifled at least half of her witty quips. That was new. She always relied on her humor when things got awkward. Now, she just kind of went silent. But just with Wes, thank the fates.
And of course, there was still high school to manage, but that seemed trivial in comparison to everything going on.
Like leaving for the vampire school tonight. Gram had counted on the shift happening and set up a plane ticket for Kenzie to get her to Washington. And though Kenzie was eager to get that over with as well, the thought of walking into the midst of vampires made her skin crawl. It didn’t help that the mere thought of blood caused her gag reflexes to act up, though her experience with Kol gave her some hope that she could overcome that particular issue. Having to smear your blood on someone for a spell will change you.